The disclosure relates to a sample analyzing method and a sample analyzer of analyzing a test substance in a measurement specimen by use of a captured image obtained by capturing an image of the measurement specimen.
The progress in the condition of some disease is affected by a specific gene, a specific protein, or the like. Checking on the presence and condition of a specific substance in a cell taken from a subject is very useful to diagnose such a disease and determine a treatment policy.
The detection of a specific substance is achieved, for example, by labeling the specific substance with a fluorescent dye, and capturing an image of fluorescence originated from the fluorescent dye. The irradiation of a measurement specimen including a test cell with light excites the fluorescence from the fluorescent dye. In this regard, some measurement specimen may emit autofluorescence when the measurement specimen is irradiated with light for excitation. This autofluorescence works as background noise against the fluorescence originated from the fluorescent dye.
US Patent Application Publication No. US2010/0120060A1 discloses a method of inhibiting this autofluorescence. The method disclosed in US Patent Application Publication US2010/0120060A1 inhibits the emission of the autofluorescence by irradiating the measurement specimen with light. The inhibition of the autofluorescence by giving a predetermined effect to a measurement specimen in this manner is generally referred to as “bleaching”.